by Pramod Goel, CEO, PlacidWayAbout the Company PlacidWay is a leader in the medical tourism industry, dedicated to offering accurate, up-to-date information and resources regarding medical travel, international medical providers, treatments, procedures and destinations for international travelers. PlacidWay is located in Colorado. For press inquiries about PlacidWay, or to arrange an interview with Pramod Goel, call +1.303.317.3607, or email info@placidway.com. To learn more about the company, please visit www.placidway.com. PlacidWay, a U.S.-based, leading medical tourism resource and information provider, has released its study on global medical travel trends for 2012, revealing the top ten treatments in demand. PlacidWay’s research and data analysis help medical tourism organizations establish the right infrastructure and ability to adapt to a fast-changing global industry. PlacidWay’s most recent research identified today’s most sought-after treatments in the medical tourism field, based on the global demand. These demands vary significantly from region to region. For example, the demand in the Americas is geared towards elective procedures, which are not covered by American insurance systems or Canadian social healthcare systems. The demand in African countries is driven by the unavailability of high quality medical care locally. In the Middle East, the demand is always to seek the best healthcare solutions globally. The demand for unique medical solutions continues to grow globally as healthcare consumers become more aware of global opportunities in healthcare and the availability of specialized procedures. The results of PlacidWay’s research showed that the demand for cosmetic procedures continues to remain strong as an increasing number of men and women seek cosmetic and anti-aging procedures abroad from Latin American to Asian and Eastern European countries. Demand for treating chronic diseases increased significantly as medical travelers became more aware of solutions, such as stem cell. The top 10 treatments in demand for medical travelers in 2012 were as follows:

Treatment & Procedures

Demand Percentage

Beauty Procedures (cosmetic, anti-aging, etc.)

20%

Stem Cell Therapy & Chronic Diseases

13%

Fertility Treatment

12%

General Surgeries

10%

Dentistry

10%

Obesity/Bariatric / Weight loss Surgeries

7%

Orthopedic & Spinal Surgery

7%

Alternative Medicine

7%

Eye/Lasik Vision Care

5%

Cancer Treatment

5%

Heart Care/Cardiac Surgeries

5%

“The number of individuals traveling from their country of origin across borders is steadily growing,” states Pramod Goel, CEO and founder, PlacidWay. “We see a direct correlation between medical demand and the increase in global awareness of the affordable, yet quality, medical solutions that are available in world-class and internationally accredited facilities. With increased marketing and educational activities, and numerous grass-root success stories, the medical tourism industry is truly entering the mainstream market. According to PlacidWay figures, the difference between 2011 and 2012 jumped 30 percent, which Goel sees as a confidence vote for medical providers in the industry. Although governments in certain countries have been trying to curtail the medical travel of their citizens to Mexico, Turkey, India, Thailand and other emerging medical tourism destinations, the affordability, availability and accessibility of certain treatments have been the key drivers, and are appealing even to those who have never traveled abroad. So while cosmetic surgery and dental vacations abroad have been in high demand for years, PlacidWay’s recent research shows stem cell therapy and fertility treatments popularity increased in 2012 by at least 20 percent compared to 2011. “Many people are traveling because they don’t have access to specialty treatments and surgical procedures in their home country,” says Goel. Location and socioeconomic status should never prevent any individual from obtaining a treatment or procedure that may save his or her life.” The continued rising cost of healthcare services has prompted tens of thousands of individuals to travel to countries where patients receive quality care, at prices they can afford. While India and Thailand continue to be some of the most popular medical tourism destinations for Africans and Middle Easterners, other countries are making their mark in the medical tourism industry, including Mexico, Turkey, South Korea and South American destinations.